This has to be one of the most sensible posts I've seen yet about dealing with computers and schools (and in some cases even without the computer, see point U). From Scott McLeod's blog, Dangerously Irrelevant... (Note: I'm just quoting a few of my favorite points - click on the link to get the whole thing.)

For Leadership Day 2012, I thought I would gather in one place many of the talking points that I use with principals and superintendents about Internet safety…

B The technology function of your school organization exists to serve the educational function, not the other way around. Corollary: your technology coordinator works for you, not vice versa.

D You don’t need special policies for specific tools. Just check that the policies you have are inclusive of electronic communication channels and then enforce the policies you already have on bullying, cheating, sexual harassment, inappropriate communication, illicit behavior, etc.

O Schools with mindsets of enabling powerful student learning usually block much less than those that don’t. Their first reaction is 'how can we make this work?' rather than 'we need to keep this out.'

S Unless you like losing lawsuits, remember that students and staff have speech and privacy rights, particularly off-campus. Remember that any dumb decision you make is Internet fodder and has a good chance of going viral online. Do you really want to be the next stupid administrator story on The Huffington Post?

T When you violate the Constitution and punish kids just because you don’t like what they legally said or did and think you can get away with it, you not only run the risk of incurring financial liability for your school system in the tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars but also abuse your position of trust and send messages to students about the corruption of power and disregard for the rule of law.

All good points.While they might not have full franchise, children are U.S. citizens and enjoy every protection the Constitution provides, as well as backing of Federal and State statutes regarding free speech.School administrators who ignore this fact are asking for a tsunami of hate and ridicule they will probably never see coming, most of them being less than 'Net-savvy'.Not a good place to be.

Thanks for this. His 26 points sound very sensible to me, particularly D. I've never understood why some people try to create a big division between on-line and off-line stuff. Inappropriate behavior is inappropriate whether it happens in person, on the phone, on paper by mail, or through computers.